William d



ll`s

y UNITED- STATES x'PMENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. HUGHES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

Doon-KNOB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,664, dated.` May 1'7, 1881.

Application filed March 2l, 1881.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. HUGHES,

of Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented `new and useful Improvements y inDoor-Knobs; and I do' hereby declare that the following is a full and accurate description of the same. j

The principal desiderata of a door-knob are, iirst, complete adjustability on the spindle to ac commodate doors of varying thicknesses with# out weakening the spindle by perforating it;` second, secure attachment to the spindle,` so that it will not come loose therefrom under the various strains to which it will be subjected in use; third, compactness and small number of parts; fourth,'durability and non-liability to derangement, fifth, cheapness. All of these conditions are satisfied in my invention.

I am aware that door-knobs have heretofore been made adjustable on the spindle, so as to avoid the employment of washers, and, in some instances, without perforatin g the spindle, and thereby weakening the same. I therefore do not claim, broadly, a method for making aknob adjustable without weakeninglthespindle, but confine myself to theparticular means and the arrangement of such means. i.

To this end my invention essentially consists in aknob-spindle provided at one or both ends with a screw-thread cut on its corners,

' soas to leave one or more blank spaces'run-` v freely but not to revolve thereon, and a device forrigidly connecting said knob andcollet'when theyhave been adjusted or moved to theproper point on the spindle, whereby said knob and collet will mutually restrain each other from motion independent of the spindle, either revolving or sliding.

That others may fully understand my invention, I will particularly describe it, having ref` arence to the accompanying drawings, where- Figure l represents my invention in perspective. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sec- (Model.)

tion of the same. tion through the collet. Fig. 4` represents a modification.

y A is the knob, which may beconstructed of any suitable material. It is constructed with an interior cavity, b, the surface whereof is ferred directly tothe spindle, and not through some intermediate connecting part. This is a point of great practical importance, because the strains referred toare by far the most numerous and trying to which a door-knob is subjected. y

The spindle D is commonly made of a square bar of iron or steel, the screw-thread being `cnt upon the corners only of said bar, and thereby longitudinal flattened spaces are left along the threaded part. lt may sometimes, however, for some reason, be desirable to pro- Fig. 3 is a transverse secvide a greater area of screw-thread, and in that case the spindle may be cylindrical along the threaded part and the threads removed along a line on one side, either flattening the spindle along said line or making a groove along the same. These ways, however, are merely well-known alternatives, and do not in anydegree affect the invention. The por- 'tion of thespindle D which is exterior to the knob when the latter is in proper adjustment is within the lock or door, as the case may he.

'A collet, E, is fitted to slide upon the spindle D, being tittedtto the hat parts of the surface of said spindle, so that it cannot revolve on the same, and when the knob is brought to ltheproper adjustment is rigidly secured to said collet by a screw, Gr, or some equivalent "and proper device, and when so united the knob cannot again revolve nor the collet slide, and they mutually lock each other in position. The rotary strains in operating the lock are then transferred tothe spindle through the collet E, while the more severe and frequent pulling strains above mentioned are transmitted directly to the spindle by means of the screw-thread c.

For purposes of economy in manufacture, as well as for aesthetic reasons, the collet E is concealed within the cavity h at the base of the knob, as shown, and the connecting device is most convenientlya screw, G,wl1ieh penetrates through the rim of the knob exterior to the cavity h and engages with the collet E. l prefer to have the screw G penetrate the collet, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, because I can most eonvenien tly provide a desirable depth of metal to receive the screw in that way; but it may be done in other ways-as, for instance, as shown in Fig. 4, where the female screw is in the rim of the knob, and its point engages with the collet, if desired. In the latter case the collet will be constructed with one or more notches, i, to receive the point of the screw G and be securely locked thereby.

The pitch of the screw-thread cut upon the spindle is usually about one-twentieth of an inch, and therefore each revolution of the knob will move it longitudinally one-twentieth of an inch.

The collet E may be provided with one, two,

' three, or four apertures, g, threaded to reone-fourth of one revolution, or by stages of one-eightieth of aninch. For the cheaper grades of locks adjustments of one-twentieth or onefortieth of an inch will be all that will be required.

In manufacturing these knobs the only toolwork that will be required in iinishing them will be in cutting the screw-threads and drilling` for the same, because there are no joints exposed to view which will require to be carefully fitted, and the parts may be cast with proper dimensions to tit with sufficient accuracy when the joints are concealed. 0f course such an'amount of exterior finish as may be desirable can be applied; but such nishing will be entirely withr a view to ornament, and without reference to utility.

When placing this knob in position the adjustment is obtained directly and without removal of any of the parts from the door. The spindle being inserted with one knob already iXed by riveting or otherwise, the knob A is screwedupon the projecting end of said spindle with the collet in proper position in the cavity h, and the knob is revolved until it is arrested by contact with the door or plate of the lock. It is then turned backward until the screw G is opposite the first reached of the apertures g in the collet, and said screw is then screwed home therein andthe adjustment and fastening is complete.` An ordinary rose may be employed, if desired.

Aside from the cheapness and easy adjustability of this device it will be permanent and durable.

It has been found out byexperience in mechanics that intermittent and irregular pressures and jars actin g upon the end of a set-screw will invariably cause the same to become loose and backed out, and it is therefore necessary to insert the screw G into the spindle, asin the common locks now in the market, or to employ some other mode,wl1ereby the pressure acting upon the screw will act against its sides and not against its end. For that reason I employ the collet E. i

The screw G may be provided with a co1. cal head, and when forced through the collet E until its end rests upon the spindle D the 8o 5,

revolution of said screw thereafter will force the collet and spindle into hard contact, Iand will also draw the knob-rim into hard contact with the collet, so that by the single y'action of the screw G the spindle, collet, and knob are mutually tightened upon each other and lost motion prevented.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new isl. To constitute an adjustable door-knob, the combination of a knob, A, provided with a female thread, a spindle, D, fitted to said thread, so that said knob may be screwed upon said spindle, a collet, E, tted to slide upon said spindle, but not to turn thereon, and a clamping device, whereby said knob and collet may be rigidly secured together, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The knob A,with aninterior screw-threat c, and a cavity, h, in its base, and a spindle, D, provided with a male thread fitted to said screw-thread c, and one or more longitudinal flat portions, as described, combined with a collet, E, fitted eXteriorly to be concealed in said cavity h, and interiorly to said at portions ofthe spindle D, so as to slide but not to turn thereon, and a clamping-screw, G, whereby said knob and collet mutually lock each other in position upon said spindle, substantially as set forth.

3. The collet E, with the aperture g penetrating to its central orifice, the spindle D, and knob A, all as described, combined with the screw Gr, provided with a conical head, whereby all of said parts are tightened upon each other.

In testimony that I claim the above as my invention, witness my hand.

W. D. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

R. D. O. SMITH, l J. C. TURNER.

n A M IOO IIO 

